Apparatus for the electrolytic manufacture of metals, and chiefly of magnesium



Oct.

A. C. JESSUP APPARATUS FOR THE ELECTROLYTIC MANUFACTURE OF METALS, AND CHIEFLY OF MAGNESIUM Filed May 25, 1951 Patented Oct. 17, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS F O R T H E ELECTROLYTIC MANUFACTURE OF METALS, AND CHIEFLY OF MAGNESIUM Alfred Claude Jessup, Clamart, France Application May 25, 1931, Serial No. 539,946, and in Germany May 31, 1930 14 Claims. (Cl. 204-19) During the electrolysis of a molten metallic through the partitions, their life being corresalt carried out in a tank fitted with an anode spondingly very greatly prolonged; and in order or anodes positioned near the center of a polygon to reduce the resistance of the bath to the miniformed by the cathodes, the inventor has observed mum compatible with a good current efiiciency,

that a circular current or rotary movement is the cathodes are placed as near to the anode or produced in the electrolyte around the anode, anodes as the dispers'on of the chlorine or other and that this current or rotary movement tends gas evolved at the anode will permit. to drive the metal towards the periphery of the The accompanying drawing shows by way of tank. example only, a constructional form of electrolytic 10 The present invention consists in utilizing this tank in conformity to the invention.

effect, when the density of the electrolyte is Figure 1 is a plan view of the apparatus. greater than or substantially equal to that of the Figure 2 is a central vertical section of same. metal obtained by the electrolysis, and in provid- In the example herein represented, the eleci e recesses r f s 0 po k t n h p iph r trolytic tank 1 has the shape of a square, at whose Said D s being P ted against the said angles are formed the pockets in the shape of Circular Current, w eby the metal will more ofisets 2. The anode 3 is substantially at the cenleedily 00116613111 the Said D ter of the tank, and the cathodes 4 are posi- Furthermere, in Order the more e e v to tioned outside of the pockets 2 and at the middle protect the metal in the Said Dockets fI'Qm the of the sides of the square formed by the tank. 20 effects of the said circular current, the pockets Th t 1 i deposited n the cathodes 4 and is are fi d With Vertical partitions, Preferably drawn forward with the circular current or gymmade of some refractory material, which extend tory motion of t th along th ll of th from the top of the electrolytic vessel dewntank, and it collects in the said pockets 2, in which Wardly and p into the electrolyte, Which p it is out of the path of the circulating current, 25 vent the current from afiecting the part in the and i protected from t action of t gas given rear Of e Said partitionsoff at the anode, by suitable partitions 5, of which Hitherto it has been the general Practlce when the lower end dips a short distance into the bath. utilizing Such pockets fitted with partitions It will be understood that if several anodes are ping into the electrolyte, to place the cathodes used they ill be grouped at near the center of 0 within the said pockets. This was due to the the ce11 erroneous belief that the metal would not accu- It should be fu th r remarked that it is mhlate h refham Wlthlh the Sand pochets unless sible to use in certain cases the effects of the difpmdhced In 51th and to the fact that It had not ferences of variation of density of the metal and so far occurred to the designers of electrolytic h t 1 t Th t k 35 tanks to make use of the said circular current or t e elec m y us 1ft 6 an 18 med W h a heat-protecting covering, with the exception rogzgry moveirilent {)bSglVBdfbiLtghB ingelciltor. th of pockets in the form of recesses 2 in the tank, the 385 13 i g ig gg g gi g heat rad1at1on will take place, thus reducing the the carrying out of a satisfactory and economiizg ggziz gg 53 ;g fi fi ggig ggggfggfii 9 3 40 gigg 23 :5 3 fig:gfif gig g g i ggg densities of the magnesium and the electrolyte are ated a long distance from the anode or anodes SubSta'nnan-y m tapk and especlauy' If thus greatly increasing the resistance of the the magnesium is somewhat lighter than the elecbath and the consumption of electric energy. prolyte h magnesium W111 the surface 4 And secondly it has been found that if the curthe Sam ofisetstsmqe the vanatlon of the 0 rent flowing between the anode and the cathode my of the magnesium 15 less t that of the elecpasses through the said partition of refractory trqlyteh h the differences m .tempemwre material, the life of this partition is very greatly valltng m Sam tank p m the Rockets reduced, due to the deposition of conducting par- Obvlously thls natural h t i be mcreasefd 50 ticles of metal within the interstices of the rereplaced) '9 an arhficlal of the sald fractory material. In the process according to h In this l g the metal can be read the present invention, these two difficulties are rhmoved from the 394d 'h entirely obviated. The cathodes are situated in It 15 however not necessary 111 Order to put the the central portion of the electrolytic vat and invention here described into practice, to build outside of the pockets, so that no current passes out the pockets in the form of recesses, as illustrated and modifications within the scope of the claims are included herein.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature 01 my invention. and in what manner the same is to be performed, I claim:

1. A cell for electrolysis o! a fused metallic salt, comprising an anode located in the central part of the area of the cell, pockets in which the material is relatively quiet at the periphery of the area of the cell, means for protecting the material in said pockets from the gyratory movement of the bath in the main part of the cell, and cathodes situated outside said pockets, but within the said cell.

2. A cell as set forth in claim 1, in which the cathodes are placed between the pockets, and nearer to said anode than are said pockets.

3. A cell as in claim 1, in which the pockets are at the exterior of said cell, extending outwardly from the periphery of the main portion of the cell.

4. A cell as in claim 1, polygonal in cross section, with the pockets located at the angles of the polygon.

5. A cell as in claim 1, in which the means for protecting the material in the pockets from strong movement, is a wall dipping down into the electrolyte.

6. A cell as in claim 1, having partition walls extending downwardly into the electrolyte in the cell, the same depending from the cover of the cell, and capable oi. isolating the atmosphere over the portion of the electrolyte in the pocket from the atmosphere over the electrolyte in the cell proper.

7. A cell as in claim 1, having provision for allowing cooling the material in the pockets.

8. A cell as in claim 1, having a 18881 8 on the exterior of the main portion of the cell.

9. A cell for electrolysis of a fused metallic salt, and particularly suitable for the electrolysis oi! fused magnesium chloride, comprising an anode located in the central portion of the cell, restricted sections of relative tranquillity at the periphery of the cell constituting pockets where the metal can collect, means for protecting the material in the said pockets, from the gyratory movement of the bath in the main part 01 the cell, and cathodes sgsliliated outside said pockets, but within said 0 10. A cell as set forth in claim 9, in which the means for protecting said pockets from the gyratory movement of the bath is the construction of said pockets as off-sets from the periphery of the cell.

11. A cell as set forth in claim 9, in which the pockets are situated at the angles of the polygon formed by the sides of the cell.

12. A cell as in claim 9, in which the means for protecting said pockets from the gyratory movement of the bath is a wall dipping down into the electrolyte.

13. A cell as in claim 9, having walls dipping into the electrolyte, forming pockets at the periphery of the cell, said walls being made oi! refractory material, whose lower end dips only a short distance into the bath.

14. A cell as in claim 9, having a plurality of anodes located in the central portion of the cell.

ALFRED CLAUDE JESSUP. 

